Journal box mounting



May 27, 1952 c, TACK 2,598,082

JOURNAL BOX MOUNTING Filed May 22, 1946 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. CARL E. TACK ATT RNEY Patented May 27, 1952 JOURNAL BOX MOUNTING Carl E. Tack, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 22, 1946, Serial No. 671,626

My invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to a method of connecting the journal end of a wheel and axle assembly to the pedestal ends of an associated side frame.

It is well known that the usual friction type of freight car truck allows considerable play between the wheel and axle assembly and the supported side frame members due to the tolerances permitted and to the form of the connection between the journal end of the wheel and axle assembly and the integral jaws of the side frame structure. This, of course, consists of a wedge which is guided on the journal box and a journal on the bearer which seats on the end of the wheel and axle assembly.

When roller bearings are applied to freight car trucks, a larger type of box is of course required in order to accommodate the rollers, and the roller bearing construction is such that less play is permitted between the wheel and axle assembly and the box due to the necessity of carefully confining the rollers in the races. As a result of this fact, it has been found that vertical and lateral vibration in such a truck equipped with roller bearings is excessive as compared with the friction type of box. It is desirable, therefore, to damp out these vibrations and my novel construction is designed with that in mind.

A specific object of my invention is to provide a resilient means between the top of a journal box which affords the usual connection between a wheel and axle assembly and an associated side frame and in association therewith to so arrange the connection of the journal box and the side frame as to afford some damping for said resilient means.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a structure wherein friction is automatically developed to dampen the vibrations normally occurring in such a structure as already described in association with resilient means forming a part thereof.

My invention comprehends an arrangement wherein the parallel pedestal jaws of a side frame are arranged in diagonal planes so that the side walls of an associated journal box will normally have frictional engagement with one of said pedestals under usual operating conditions.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of 6 Claims. (01. -224 Figure 3 is a fragmentary view comparable to Figure 1, showing a comparable form of my invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, my novel structure comprises the compression member 2, the tension member 4, merging as at 6 and continuing therebeyond as at 1 over the journal opening 9, defined in part by the downwardly projecting pedestals 8 and I0.

- Between the pedestals 8 and It! may be received the usual journal box I2, forming the conventional means of connecting the side frame to the journal end of the wheel and axle assembly I 3, said box having the inboard and outboard guide lugs l4 and [6 (Figure 2). At the extremities of the pedestals 8 and I i] may be provided the usual safety tie bar H. The opposite sides of said box [2 may have guiding engagement respectively with the pedestal jaws 8 and Ill. The pedestal jaw l0 may have a friction pad 13 having flat face engagement as at 29 with the friction surface on the adjacent side wall of the journal box I2 and the opposite pedestal 8 may have a similar friction pad 22 which likewise may under certain conditions have flat face engagement as at 24 with the adjacent side wall of the box I2.

Over the box I2 may be positioned resilient means 26 illustrated in Figure 1 as a series of rubber pads with intervening plates in a Well known rubber spring arrangement, said resilient means 26 affording a seat on top the box for the extremity of the side frame.

It will be observed from the side elevation of Figure 1 that the guide faces for the opposite sides of the journal box are formed on the pedestals 8 and Ill in parallel diagonal planes, said planes varying from the vertical at such an angle as to afford the development of sufiicient friction as to effectively damp such vibratory moven ents-as normally occur when the side frame is resiliently mounted on the journal end of the associated wheel and axle assembly. The angle at which the pedestal guides diverge from the vertical may be varied under different conditions, depending somewhat upon the character of the resilient means between the journal box and the side frame and in part upon the character of the loads to be supported. It is practicable, however, to provide satisfactory damping while varying this angle less than ten degrees from the vertical and under certain conditions an angle of approximately five degrees, as illustrated, will provide sufiicient friction between the pedestal guide and the journal-box to afford the necessary damping action.

From an inspection of the views of Figures 1 and 2, it will be apparent that frictional engagement between the box and the pedestal will take place at 2!} while some clearance will occur at the opposite side of the box as at 24, the amount of the clearance depending upon the tolerances permitted. The usual tolerances for the connection between a roller bearing journal box and the frame pedestals are such that only slight horizontal movement will take place when the box moves from the guiding face of one pedestal to seat against the guide face of the opposite pedestal This movement may be considerably less than is frequently incurred under present operating conditions.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the usual brake arrangement of afreight car truck applies the brake shoes against theadjacent tread surfaces of the wheels so that the wheel and axle assemblies are urged apart as :the brakes are applied. Brakes are sometimes used, however, which urge the wheel and axleassemblies toward each other instead of in reverse direction and my novel arrangement is equally satisfactory under both conditions. Similarly, if clasp brakes are used with brake shoes at opposite sides of each wheel, the braking effect may be neutral as far as concerns positioning the box in the pedestal guides. Under such conditions, the frictional engagement will occur as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 owing to the diagonal arrangement of the pedestal guides as illustrated.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 3, I have shown a similar side frame, generally designated I02, having a box-section end portion with a diagonal web affording a seat as at I'M for coil springs diagrammatically illustrated at I66, I06, the opposite ends of which may seat as at 98 on the top of the box H0, which may be received in the pedestal opening H2, said pedestal opening being defined in part by the jaws H4 and I28 having guiding engagement with the flanges H6 and I IS on said jaws in manner similar to that of the previous modification. This modification differs from the previous one only in that the use L of coil springs is provided for instead of a resilient pad such as heretofore illustrated. In this modification the coil springs may extend through accommodating openings in the bottom web I22 of the side frame member.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiments of the device shown which are merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway car truck, a side frame having tension and compression members converging toward each end of the frame to provide an end portion, spaced depending pedestals below the end portion presenting opposed guide surfaces aligned longitudinally of the frame and sloping downwardly toward the adjacent end of the frame, said guide surfaces being arranged in parallel diagonal planes diverging from the vertical less than ten degrees, one pedestal being connected to the tension member and the other pedestal being connected to the outer end of said end portion, a wheel and axle assembly including a journal box interposed between said pedestals and in complementary direct frictional engagement with the surface on said other pedestal, spring seats on the top of said box and on said end portion sloping upwardly toward the outer end of said end portion, and spring means compressed between said seats, said spring means being oriented to compress substantially parallel to said surfaces.

2. In a railway car truck, a truss type side frame comprising tension and compression mem bers merging at their ends, an end portion formed integral with the ends of said members, a pair of depending pedestals below said end portion, one of said pedestals being connected to the underside of said tension member adjacent said end portion, the other pedestal being connected to said end portion, said pedestals presenting opposed substantially parallel guide surfaces extending transversely of theframe and sloping downwardly toward the adjacent end of the frame, said guide surfaces being arranged in diagonal planes diverging from the vertical approximately five derees, a wheel and axle assembly comprising a journal box interposed between said pedestals and in complementary direct frictional engagement with the surface on said other pedestal, a spring seat on the top of the journal box, said end portion :having a wall formed as a continuationof .a wall of one of said members and presenting a spring seat face substantially parallel to the spring seat'on the box and sloping therewith upwardly toward the outer extremity of the end portion, and spring means between said seat and face and compressible therebetween substantially parallel to said surfaces.

3. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression members converging andmerging at their ends to define a truss structure, an end portion at the end of said structure integral with said members, a pair of pedestals spaced longitudinally of the frame, one of said pedestals being connected to the end portion and the other to said tension member, said pedestals presenting opposed substantially parallel guide surfaces extending transversely of the frame and sloping downwardly away from the tension member, said guide surfaces being arranged in diagonal planes diverging from the vertical approximately five degrees, a wheel and axle assembly including a journal box interposed between said pedestals and having substantially parallel sides facing respective surfaces, one of said sides of the box ,frictionally engaging the surface on said other pedestal, a spring seat on the top of said box and .a spring seat on a wall of said end portion formed as a continuation of a wall of said tension member, said spring seats being arranged substantially normal to said surfaces and sloping upwardly towardthe outer extremity of said end portion, and spring means compressible between said seats substantially parallel to said surfaces.

4. In a railway car truck, a side frame having tension and compression members merging at their ends to define a truss structure, an end portion integral with the ends of said members and projecting outwardly of said structure in the plane thereof, spaced pedestals below said portion, one connected to said tension member and the other to said end portion, said pedestals presenting opposed guide surfaces extending transversely of the frame and sloping downwardly away from said tension member, said guide surfaces being arranged in parallel diagonal planes diverging from the vertical less than ten degrees, a wheel and axle assembly comprising a journal box interposed between said pedestals and in complementary engagement with the surface on .said other pedestal, opposed substantially parallel spring seats on the top of said box and on a wall of said end portion formed as a continuation of a wall of said compression member, said seats sloping upwardly toward the outer extremity of said end portion, a plurality of springs housed within said end portion and extending through openings in another wall of said end portion formed as a continuation of a wall of said tension member and extending between said seats, said springs being compressed between said seats, the compressional axes of said springs extending substantially parallel to said surfaces.

5. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression members merging at their ends to define a truss structure, an end portion integral with the ends of said members, spaced pedestals, one connected to the end portion and the other to said structure, said pedestals presenting opposed guide faces extending transversely of the frame and sloping downwardly away from said structure, said guide surfaces being arranged in parallel diagonal planes diverging from the vertical less than ten degrees, a wheel and axle assembly including a journal box interposed between said pedestals and in complementary engagement with the face on said one pedestal, opposed spring seats on said box and portion sloping upwardly away from said structure, spring means compressed between said seats and oriented to exert forces on said box substantially parallel to said faces and against said portion in a direction toward said structure while said box is caused to exert a force against said one pedestal in a direction away from said structure, said box being loosely interlocked with said pedestals for limited movement transversely of the frame against the frictional resistance developed between the box and the face of said one pedestal.

6. In a railway car truck, a truss type side frame comprising tension and compression members converging toward each end of the frame, an end portion at each end of the frame connected to the adjacent ends of said members, a pair of ped estals at each end of the frame, one connected to the tension member and the other to the adjacent end portion, opposing friction surfaces formed on m axle assembly at each end of the frame comprising a journal box interposed between the adjacent pair of pedestals and in frictional engagement with said other pedestal, opposed spring seats on each box and adjacent end portion sloping upwardly toward the adjacent end of the frame, and spring means compressed between opposed seats, each box being loosely interlocked with the related pedestals for limited movement transversely of the frame against the resistance 20 developed between the box and the pedestal surface engaged thereby.

CARL E. TACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 453,167 Eickemeyer May 26, 1891 2,020,358 Hedgcock Nov. 12, 1935 2,102,907 Mylius Dec. 21, 1937 2,229,429 Travilla Jan. 21, 1941 2,250,568 Borup July 29, 1941 2,252,944 Pagenkemper Aug. 19, 1941 2,355,450 Leese Aug. 8, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 40 Number Country Date 2,471 Great Britain of .1860

(Sealed April 2, 1861) 

